Meteos

Early Career and Joining Cloud9

Meteos was introduced to League of Legends by his brother, initially playing as an Attack Damage Carry in the game's second competitive season. He switched to the jungle role in April 2012, a decision that would shape his career. He climbed the competitive ranks primarily playing the champion Skarner, who became closely associated with his early identity.

Before turning professional, Meteos accumulated over 3500 wins in high-level normal games. He and friends formed Team Normal Stars to compete in online tournaments, but the team disbanded before qualifying for the LCS due to age restrictions on a teammate. His path to the big stage opened when he became friends with player WildTurtle, who asked him to be a substitute for Cloud9. After subbing in several qualifier events, Meteos asked to join the team full time as their jungler, officially joining Cloud9 in early March 2013.

Rise to Prominence with Cloud9

Meteos quickly became a central figure in Cloud9's early dominance in North America. His calculated and efficient jungle pathing was a key component of the team's success. During his initial run with the team, Meteos won two NA LCS championships and appeared in every competitive split, establishing a record of consistency.

In July 2015, Meteos made the surprising decision to step down as Cloud9's starting jungler and primary shotcaller. He believed the team was not performing at its best with him in that role and wanted to give someone else a chance to help the team avoid relegation. Team manager Jack Etienne praised him as a huge part of Cloud9 and one of its most talented players. Meteos remained with the organization as a substitute.

Returns, Departures, and Roster Moves

Meteos returned to Cloud9's active roster as the starting jungler in May 2016. His comeback season in the Summer Split was strong, helping the team, now with new members like Impact and Smoothie, reach the playoff finals and qualify for the World Championship through the regional gauntlet.

After Cloud9 was eliminated in the quarterfinals of the 2016 World Championship, Meteos again stepped down from the starting lineup to focus on streaming, being replaced by rookie Contractz. In November 2017, he joined the new franchise 100 Thieves as their starting jungler for the 2018 Spring Split, helping the team finish first in the regular season.

Conflicts arose later that year, and citing a lack of chemistry with the coach, Meteos requested a trade. He was sent to FlyQuest for the 2018 Summer Split, where he found some success by reaching the playoffs before being eliminated by his former team, 100 Thieves.

Later Career and Transition to Analysis

Meteos's playing career continued with stints on teams like OpTic Gaming and a second period with 100 Thieves, primarily on their academy squad. His deep knowledge of the game and clear communication made a post-playing career in analysis a natural fit.

He officially transitioned into a new role in 2024, joining Riot Games as a member of the Gameplay Analysis Team. In this position, he playtests upcoming changes to League of Legends and provides direct feedback to the developers. He also maintains his connection to Cloud9 as a content creator for the organization.

Playstyle and Legacy

Meteos was known for a controlled, farm-heavy jungle style that prioritized resource efficiency and objective control. In his early peak, champions like Elise and Skarner were his signatures, allowing him to exert steady map pressure. His approach influenced how the jungle role was played in North America during Cloud9's reign.

Beyond his trophies, Meteos is remembered for his thoughtful, often candid perspective on the game and the professional scene. His popularity endured after his peak competitive years, regularly drawing large audiences to his streams where he analyzed professional matches and the game's meta.

Origin of the Name

The gamer tag Meteos has a long history predating his League of Legends fame. He used the name for five years in World of Warcraft. It originated from a Nintendo DS game titled Meteos that happened to be on his desk when he created his WoW account. His original League of Legends account name was Long Dong, which was changed to Short Dog for being offensive. After an inactive name sweep by the game's administrators, the Meteos name became available for his main account.